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Skip Bayless is one of the only notable sports commentators who has actually stuck to sports. Perhaps that’s why his career spans five decades and why he is arguably the most successful sports debate talk show host in the history of the industry.

But Bayless, now 72 and finally free from the constraints of corporate media, allowed himself to “step out of [his] lane” to discuss the “most fascinating presidential election in his lifetime.

“Just for the record, I am neither Democrat nor Republican,” Bayless said on his eponymous podcast via YouTube. “I did not vote for Donald Trump either of the first two times. But I must admit: I’m having a hard time convincing myself that Kamala Harris will make the kind of president this country deserves.”

Bayless said while he thought Harris won the first and only debate against Trump in September, she has unimpressed him since.

“In so many other interviews I’ve seen her do, she loses her train of thought. She just rambles. And I start to wonder: Is she really the kind of dynamic leader and decision-maker this country needs and deserves?”

He added that, in his opinion, the majority of people voting for Kamala are voting not for her but against Donald Trump.

“They are voting for Kamala only because there is no way they would vote for Donald Trump. It’s not that they believe deeply in Kamala … it’s just that they have condemned Donald Trump as a far-right psycho who cannot be allowed back into power.”

Bayless called voting for Harris only because she is not Donald Trump a form of “double jeopardy.”

“Let me say this about Donald Trump,” Bayless continues. “I do not share a number of his views. Or maybe many of his views. But I do believe that he is a natural-born leader who isn’t afraid to make tough decisions.”

Further, Bayless acknowledges that Trump has some “General Patton in him,” referring to George S. Patton from World War II.

“Donald Trump has some hard-ass commander in him,” says Bayless. “Sometimes when you want to preserve your freedom from superpowers that want to talk it from you, you need a Patton on your side, in the controls, even if you don’t believe in his politics.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 4: Sports commentator and television personality Skip Bayless poses for a portrait in Los Angeles, California on October 4, 2024. (Photo by Ian Maddox for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

That brought Skip Bayless to the topic of Israel.

“I do believe in the Bible. I try to live my life by the Bible. And I do believe with all my heart, and all my soul, that if our country does not support Israel, our country will fall … If we elect a regime that turns its back on Israel, we will fail, and we will fall. That’s just my spiritual, biblical belief.”

Bayless adds, “It sounds like Trump is more inclined to support Israel” despite what “Harris says.”

For someone who doesn’t talk politics, Bayless sure has his facts straight.

Now, he explains that while “nearly every time” he nearly talks himself into voting for Trump, the former president “makes another outlandish, outrageous statement.”

“You are Donald freaking Trump. You are one of the most recognizable men in the world. You are one of the most successful businessmen in the history of the world. You don’t need to lie, exaggerate, or even embellish the truth. You should be so much better than that. You’ve earned being better than that,” Bayless says about Trump.

Skip concludes, “I’m not even sure I can trust our voting process anymore. How many votes are being allowed from people who are not even U.S. citizens? I have no idea.”

You can watch the full segment on the Bayless show below, starting at the 35:00 mark. And we encourage you to do so. 

Bayless’ points are sound. Unlike most figures in sports media when discussing politics, Bayless brought examples to back up his every claim. He showed he could compliment and criticize both candidates. That’s rare.

It is also refreshing to hear from someone who is not marred by partisanship and sycophantism. Bayless is neither.

Bayless’ segment was also brave. Skip is currently in the process of building a sports media company in the industry that has repeatedly shown zero tolerance for even the slightest of conservative views. (See Sage Steele, Will Cain, Jason Whitlock, and Sam Ponder.)

Whether Bayless convinces himself to vote for Trump by Tuesday or not, he made it clear that he prefers Trump as opposed to Harris. That statement alone could cost him potential sponsorships, partnerships, promotions, and status within the partisan world of sports media.

Surely, his comments will draw the ire of the industry hall monitors Dan Le Batard, Jemele Hill, and Mina Kimes.

Good for Bayless. And what he said about leadership, Israel, Patton, and Kamala’s struggles to answer questions is so objectively true.